Menu for Hope 2007 - Private Wine Tasting for 8

Tomorrow sees the start of this year's Menu for Hope campaign involving food bloggers from around the globe. Organised by Pim of superb blog ChezPim, this year we are raising money for a specific project coordinated by the UN World Food Programme. It is a school feeding project in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Currently, the WFP's school feeding programme provides a daily nutritious meal to nearly 150,000 school kids in Lesotho , many of them orphans.

Last year, the Menu for Hope campaign raised over $60,000. This year we want to do even better. The great news about this campaign though is that whilst putting money to a really good cause, you also stand to win some really superb prizes including meals in 'hard to get into' restaurants, foodie tours and experiences, culinary gadgets and delicious treats. Simply buy a raffle ticket (or several!) for the prizes that take your fancy.


Anyway, my job here is to tell you about the prize I am donating. A great choice for those who enjoy wine and want to learn a little more about it in a relaxed and informal setting, I am offering to host a private wine tasting in your own home for you and up to seven guests (eight people in total). Please note: this prize in unfortunately limited to those living in, or close to London - see terms for further details.

As regular readers will know, I work in the wine business organising and hosting wine tastings wine-related events around the UK and northern France. I'm passionate about wine but by no means a 'wine bore' so the emphasis of the evening will be firmly on fun (though you'll learn a few things along the way too).

The theme of the tasting will be entirely up to you - a introduction to wine tasting and grape varieties or a tasting comparing European wines with those from the 'New World'. An in-depth study of a particular region, country or grape variety, unusual 'hidden treasure' wines or perhaps a food and wine matching session. The tasting will be tailored to meet your areas of interest and level of wine-tasting experience.
Included in the prize will be the wine to be tasted (up to the value of £80). A typical tasting would feature 8 wines at various different prices from £5 to £25 per bottle. If the winner would like to organise a 'fine wine' tasting or Champagne tasting then they are welcome to add to the budget. Remember, this will be YOUR tasting! It could make a great birthday celebration or just an opportunity to get friends around for a fun evening with a difference.


I hope this prize will appeal to all wine lovers whether you are total novice wanting to learn more or a seasoned enthusiast wishing to expand your repertoire. If you have any questions about this prize, please do email me at abitofafoodie [at] googlemail.com

Please note the following terms:

1. Unfortunately, this prize is limited to those living in or nearby London (I am prepared to travel for an hour by car).

2. Prize includes wines to the value of £80. All food and further wine to be at winner's expense.

Do please take a look at the other fabulous prizes on offer - details are below along with notes on how to buy raffle tickets and help support this great cause.

After five years of drought, it is estimated that disease and malnutrition in Lesotho claim the lives of one in 12 children before they reach the age of five. Chronic and persistent vulnerability prevails in Lesotho . The kingdom is confronting the triple threat of increasing chronic poverty, rising HIV/AIDS rates and weakened government capacity. This threat takes a heavy toll on the households of the rural poor in Lesotho , who are faced with a limited number of coping strategies to respond to the intensifying hazard. 56% of the population live on less then $2 per day. Think about that. That's less than a pound.

Donation instructions:

1. Choose a prize or prizes of your choice from our Menu for Hope at http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2007/12/menu-for-hope-4.html . (This is the global list of all prizes donated this year.

The summary of UK prizes on Cooksister will be located here:http://www.cooksister.com/2007/11/menu-for-hope-2.html.) You must make sure to check the terms and conditions for the individual prizes BEFORE you bid, as some will come with restrictions regarding where they ship to or how long the prize is valid for.

2. Go to the donation site athttp://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhope4 and make a donation.

3. Please specify the prize code of the prize you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. If you are buying more than one ticket, please indicate how you would like the tickets to be allocated. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02. Please write 2xEU01, 3xEU02

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Check back on Chez Pim on Wednesday January 9 for the results of the raffle.